System and method of creating and following URL tours

ABSTRACT

A browsing method encoded on a computer-readable medium is provided. The method creates customized summaries of web pages and comprises multiple steps. In a first step, from a thematic or project-based listing of URL links, a selected URL link is activated. In a second step, a tour creation dialog is opened. In a third step, the user is presented with a menu option that enables the user to identify an existing tour or create a new tour. In a fourth step, if the user identifies an existing tour, the URL so selected is added into this existing tour. In a fifth step, if the user chooses to create a new tour, an input window is presented to the user that prompts the user to input a tour name. In a sixth step, once the user inputs the tour name, the new tour is saved.

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/447,293 filed Nov. 23, 1999 and PCT/US00/17409(WO0101275), filed Jun. 24, 2000, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This invention relates to a method and system of viewingresources on a network and, more particularly, to a browsing method andsystem for inputting navigational instructions in a multi-servercomputer environment such as the “Internet”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The use of the Internet has seen rapid growth over the last fewyears, fueled in significant part by availability and use of webbrowsing software that permits access, via a graphical user interface(“GUI”) to network servers which are part of the World Wide Web. Theseservers provide access to documents known as “web pages” or “web sites”using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”). HTTP is an applicationprotocol that provides user access to these web pages having variousformats including text, graphics, images, sound, and dynamic features.Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) is the standard page descriptionlanguage used with HTTP and provides basis document formatting. HTMLallows a web page developer to specify these hypertext links to otherservers and to other files. A user using an HTML-compliant browser mayspecify a link via a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”). When the userdoes so, the client browser makes a transmission controlprotocol/Interface protocol (“TCP/IP”) request to the server associatedwith the link and consequently receives the corresponding web pageformatted according to HTML. Note that XML is a substitute for HTML.

[0004] Bookmarks are used to mark particular Internet addresses or URLs,for later access. Lists of bookmarks can become quite long, makingreviewing the contents of a list of bookmarks cumbersome.

[0005] Further, no means exists for organizing bookmarks irrespective ofstandard criteria, such as relevancy, to suit the information needs of aparticular visitor.

[0006] Therefore, what is needed is a means to enable users havingparticular information needs to view the most pertinent sites first. Inparticular, what is needed is a system and a method that brings to thefore, sites which may be of particular interest to a particular type ofuser or an individual such as a client.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A browsing method and system is provided to follow a listing ofURL links in a data register, from one link to another, and toreorganize based on preferences, such as by user-defined relevancy or bydate of creation, etc. This method and system solve the problemsidentified above by enabling the creation of a summarizing tour of URLlinks associated with a project or theme that can be followed by a user.The tour creation method includes the following steps. In a first step,a link is activated. In a second step, when initiated, a tour creationdialog opens. In a third step, the user is presented with a menu optionthat enables him to identify an existing tour or create a new tour. In afourth step, if the user identifies an existing tour, the URL soselected is added into this existing tour using tour link editingsubmethod. In a fifth step, if the user chooses to create a new tour, aninput window is presented to the user in which he can input the name ofthe tour which he would like to create. In a sixth step, the user clicks“save” and the new tour is created having a single link. The user thenreturns to the first step to add another link to the tour.

[0008] In an object of the invention, users are provided with summariessummarizing the contents of a potentially long list of links, many ofwhich may not be of interest to them.

[0009] In a second object of the invention, such summaries can bespecifically written for a particular user, and, using the commentingfeature of the invention, include detailed comments of great potentialinterest to the user, thus reducing the time the user must spend seekingthe most pertinent information in a project.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a screen print of a Graphical User Interface (“GUI”) onwhich the invention acts.

[0011]FIG. 2a is a logic flow diagram of the tour creation submethod ofthe invention.

[0012]FIG. 2b is a logic flow diagram of a tour editing submethod of theinvention.

[0013]FIGS. 3 and 4 are screen prints of the GUI showing aproject-oriented link list on which the invention acts.

[0014] FIGS. 5 to 10 are screen prints of the GUI showing the tourcreation means of the system of the invention.

[0015]FIG. 11 is a logic flow diagram of the tour following submethod ofthe invention.

[0016] FIGS. 12 to 16 are screen prints of the GUI showing the tourfollowing means of the system of the invention.

[0017]FIG. 17 is a screen print of the GUI showing the tour end markerof the invention.

[0018] FIGS. 18 to 20 are screen prints of the GUI showing optionaltrails that can be followed using a trail following submethod of theinvention

[0019]FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of the system of the invention.

[0020]FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of a network on which the inventionoperates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0021] A browsing method is provided which enables a user to follow alisting of links 14 in a data register, from one link to another, and toreorganize based on preferences, such as by user defined relevancy or bydate of creation, according to International application WO0101275, thecontent of which is incorporated herein by reference hereto.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 which is a screen print of the Graphical UserInterface (GUI) 20 having interface frame 25 and a display window 26with which the method 10 and the system 200 (shown in FIG. 21) of theinvention operates. The method 10 is encoded on a computer readable andexecutable medium on a computer, such as a PC, a diskette, a server onthe Internet, or the Internet itself. The method 10 is implemented insoftware that instructs a microprocessor to manage system components,inputs and outputs in a manner that controls a GUI.

[0023] The method 10 and system 200 enables the creation of asummarizing tour 12 of URL links 14 associated with a project or theme16. Referring now to FIG. 2a, the method 10 includes the followingsteps. In a first step 20, by clicking on an icon (not shown) forexample on the user's desktop, the method 10, operating on the system Zof the invention, is loaded into the working directory of the computer.In a second step 22, a link 24 (shown in FIG. 5) is activated.

[0024] Referring now to FIG. 6, in a third step 26, when initiated, atour creation dialog 34 opens. In a fourth step 30, the user ispresented with a menu 32 that enables him to identify an existing touror create a new tour 34. In a fifth step 36, if the user identifies anexisting tour, the URL so selected is added into this existing tourusing tour link editing (TLE) submethod. In a sixth step 40, if the userchooses to create a new tour, an input window 42 is presented to theuser in which he can input the name of the tour which he would like tocreate and, optionally, a description, in corresponding input fields 44and 46. In a seventh step 50, the user clicks “OK” 52 and the new touris created having a single link. The method 10 then returns to a statein which it can activate step 22, at the initiation of the user.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 2b, the tour link editing submethod 54includes two basic steps. In a first step 55, the submethod 54 presentsthe user with a tour status window 56 (shown in FIG. 10) that displaysall the existing links 60 in the tour and facilitates the editing ofthese links through the execution of several steps. Referring to FIG.10, a vertical insert bar 62, having insert icons 64 between lines inwhich the existing links are displayed, if any. In a second step 64, theuser chooses the location of link input by clicking on any of theseinsert icons 64 and the to-be-added link is automatically insertedbetween the corresponding adjacent links.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 3, a screenshot of the GUI 20 is shown ofthe categories of links 14 which are associated with the theme “VC and $resources” project.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 4, a screenshot of the GUI 20 of links 66is shown which have been expanded from the associated categories 70among the categories of links 14.

[0028] Referring now to FIG. 5, a screenshot of the GUI 20 is shown inwhich one of the links 66 is activated/highlighted and, after a rightmouse button click, a menu 72 opens in which several menu options arepresented, among them, an “add to tour” menu item 74. Referring again toFIG. 6 and to FIG. 7, when the “add to tour” menu item 74 is selected,the menu 32 is displayed, allowing the user to select an exiting tour ordefine a “new tour” 34. Referring now to FIG. 8, a tour propertiesdialog 42 opens in which the name field 44 and a description field 46are provided, into which the user inputs the tour name and optionally atour description. The user clicks “OK” 52 to save the new tour or“cancel” to cancel the tour creation submethod. As can be seen in thefigure, the name selected in this example tour is “Swiss VC” and thedescription given is “VCs having offices in Switzerland”. Now, whenanother link 66 is selected and the steps are taken to add this link tothe “Swiss VC” tour, as shown in FIG. 9, then, in a tour followingdialog (a.k.a. tour status window) 56 labeled “trail tracker”, the links66 selected for the “Swiss VC” tour appear under the tour name 76.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 11, in a tour following (TF) submethod 80,the method 10 further enables users to follow any tour so created, andincludes the following steps. In a first step 82, when an icon 84 (shownin FIG. 10) is clicked, the TF submethod 80 presents the user with atour status window 56 that includes a tour selection mechanism. In asecond step 86, the submethod 80 opens a tour 76 when such is selectedby the user. In a third optional step 90, the tour status window 56closes. In a fourth step 92, the submethod 80 responds to usernavigation directives after, for example, the user clicks on a trailtracker down arrow 94 or up arrow 96 (shown in FIG. 10), by locating andautomatically consecutively or selectively downloading for view htmlpages located at the URLs of the list of URLs 100.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 12, the trail tracker popup is shown priorto creating the Swiss VC tour. It should be noted that the existingtours “3i Activities” 102 and “Intro to Armada” 104. Referring to FIG.13, the trail tracker popup 56 shows an expanded view of the “Intro toArmada” tour. Referring to FIG. 14, a first tour link “Welcome to ArmadaVentures” 66 is selected and the html page at the corresponding URL isdisplayed in the display window 28. In FIG. 15, the trail tracker popup56 has been closed by clicking the “x” close icon 106 (shown in FIG.14). By clicking on the down arrow icon 94, navigation advances to thenext URL in the tour list 100, shown in FIG. 16. In FIG. 17, when thelast URL 66 in the tour is reached and the user clicks the arrow icon94, a popup end-of-tour window 110 opens.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 18, the trail tracker popup 56 is shown,showing an optional trail to follow, in this case “nav history” 112.This trail can be followed optionally by pressing on the down or uparrows 114 and 116 respectively. In FIG. 19, still another optionaltrail, “Bookmarks” 120, is shown. In FIG. 20, still another optionaltrail, “Nav. Trail”, 122 is shown.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 21, which is a block diagram of a typicalsystem 200 for practicing the various embodiments of the presentinvention, the client browsing method 10 of the present invention isencoded on a computer-readable medium and manages access by users usinga computer system 200 to a network of servers 540 and 540′ such as theInternet. Such a computer system 200 typically includes a computer 220,a display device 240, an input device 260 such as a keyboard, a primarystorage device 300, a secondary storage device 320 and a plurality ofresources 230. Each resource 230 is operatively coupled to at least oneof the computers 220. Resources 230 include, but are not limited to,printers, databases, special-purpose servers, security devices, modems,etc.

[0033] After loading of software encoded with the method 10 of theinvention, the display device 240 displays a graphical user interface(“GUI”) 340 for facilitating the display of text and graphics for theuser. Display devices 240 include printers and computer display screenssuch as a CRT, LED displays, and LCDs. Input devices 260 are numerousand include keyboards and pointing devices such as a mouse 270 having aleft mouse button 280 and a right mouse button 290, a trackball,lightpens, thumbwheels, digitizing tablets, microphones using voicerecognition software, and touch screens and pads.

[0034] The computer 220 includes a CPU 360 as well as other componentswith which all who are skilled in the art are familiar. For a detaileddiscussion of these components and their interaction, see U.S. Pat. No.5,787,254, the content of which is incorporated by reference. Thesecondary storage 320 supports the browsing method 10, preferablyHTTP-compliant, as well as a number of Internet access tools. Thesecondary storage 320 may also support other Internet services includingmail transfer protocol (SMTP), e-mail, file transfer protocol (“FTP”),network transfer protocol (“NNTP”) or “usenet” and remote terminalaccess (Telnet). The CPU 360 fetches computer instructions from primarystorage 300 through an interface 40 such as an input/output subsystemconnected to a bus 420. A relational database 530 a in which data andrelations which are shared by users, is stored in primary storage 300and be accessed via fileserver protocol. The computer 220 can be, but isnot limited to, an “IBM APTIVA” computer, a product of InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation of Armonk, New York, or any computercompatible with the IBM PC computer systems based on the X86 orPentium(TM) series processor of Intel Corporation or compatibleprocessors, or any of the “SPARC” station or “ULTRA” workstationcomputer systems available from Sun Microsystems, Inc. of Mountain View,California, any “MACINTOSH” computer systems based on a “POWERPC”processor and available from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.The CPU 360 utilizes an operating system which, depending on thehardware used, may be DOS, “WINDOWS 3.X”, “WINDOWS 95”, “NT”, “OS/2”,“AIX”, “LINUX”, or any other suitable operating system. The CPU 360executes these fetched computer instructions. Executing theseinstructions enables the CPU 360 to retrieve data or write data to theprimary storage 300, display information on one or more display devices240, receive command signals from one or more input devices 26, ortransfer data to secondary storage 320 or even other computer systemswhich collectively form a computer network 250 (shown in FIG. 22). Thoseskilled in the art understand that primary storage 300 and secondarystorage 320 can include any type of computer storage including RAM, ROM,application specific integrated circuits (“ASIC”) and storage deviceswhich include magnetic and optical storage media such as a CD-ROM.

[0035] The primary storage 300 stores a number of items including themethod 60 and a runtime environment 460. The runtime environment 460typically is an operating system which manages computer resources, suchas memory, disk or processor time, required for the method of theinvention to run. The runtime environment 460 may also be a messagepassing system, a microkemel, dynamic loadable linkable module(s), orany other system which manages computer resources.

[0036] In a first advantage of the present invention, users are providedwith summaries summarizing the contents of a potentially long list oflinks, many of which may not be of interest to them.

[0037] In a second advantage of the invention, such summaries can bespecifically written for a particular user, and, using the commentingfeature of the invention, include detailed comments of great potentialinterest to the user, thus reducing the time the user must spend seekingthe most pertinent information in a project.

[0038] In another advantage, the method permits collaborative browsingin which the experience gained from one person's research can beefficiently shared (through notations and comments) with others withinthe organization. Further, by e-mailing importable project summaries toclients or outside service providers, the experience gained within anorganization can be shared with those outside an organization.

[0039] The invention has a further technical effect in that the methodcauses the computer screen to present a user with control means that theuser can use to more efficiently manage the downloading of informationfor viewing by the user on the computer screen. Thus, the method 60controls or directs an Internet research session. The resultingefficient acquisition of information is applicable industrially in everydomain of technology.

[0040] The invention involves technical issues such as the ordering andcontrol of the communication paths selected to access digitalinformation on a network.

[0041] The figures illustrate one method for practicing the presentinvention. The flow diagrams described herein broadly illustrate thelogical flow of steps to perform one embodiment of the presentinvention. Accordingly, numerous steps may be added to, or taken awayfrom the flow diagrams, irrespective of any occasional use of the term“optionally”, without departing from the scope of the invention.Furthermore, the order of execution of the steps in the flow diagramsmay be changed without departing from the scope of the invention.Additional considerations in implementing the method described by theflow diagrams may also dictate changes in the selection and order of thesteps.

[0042] Multiple variations and modifications are possible in theembodiments of the invention described here. Although certainillustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and describedhere, a wide range of modifications, changes, and substitutions iscontemplated in the foregoing disclosure. In some instances, somefeatures of the present invention may be I employed without acorresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriatethat the foregoing description be construed broadly and understood asbeing given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit andscope of the invention being limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-readable medium encoded with a methodof creating customized summaries of web pages, the method comprising thesteps of: a. from a thematic of URL links, activating a selected URLlink; b. opening a tour creation dialog; c. presenting the user with amenu option which enables the user to identify an existing tour orcreate a new tour; d. if the user identifies an existing tour, the URLso selected is added into this existing tour; e. if the user chooses tocreate a new tour, an input window is presented to the user whichprompts the user to input a tour name; f. once the use inputs the tourname, saving the new tour.
 2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the addingof the selected link is accomplished using a tour link editingsubmethod, wherein said submethod includes the steps of: a. presentingthe user with a tour status window which displays all the existing linksin the tour and facilitates the editing of these links through theexecution of several steps; and b. using URL link insert means,inserting the selected URL in a desired order among any already existinglinks in the tour.
 3. A computerized method encoded on acomputer-readable medium, the method creating customized summaries ofweb pages, the method comprising the steps of: a. from a thematiclisting of URL links, activating a selected URL link; b. opening a tourcreation dialog; c. presenting the user with a menu option which enablesthe user to identify an existing tour or create a new tour; d. if theuser identifies an existing tour, the URL so selected is added into thisexisting tour; e. if the user chooses to create a new tour, an inputwindow is presented to the user which prompts the user to input a tourname; f. once the use inputs the tour name, saving the new tour.
 4. Acomputer-readable medium encoded with a method of following a URL tour,the method (a) opening a trail tracker dialog presenting tours fromwhich a user can select, (b) providing selection means for selecting atour; (c) after selection, providing means by which the user cannavigate among the URLs organized with the selected tour; and (d) uponreaching the end of the selected tour, notifying user of the end of thetour.